Douglas A. Fiery
Barbara Janet (Otto) Schoeck of Hagerstown, Maryland, passed away on Monday, October 28, 2024, at home with her family. She was predeceased by her husband of 66 years, Vincent Edward Schoeck, on December 17, 2020.
Barbara was born October 1, 1931, in Detroit, Michigan to the late Johanna Sophie (Swaiger) Otto and Edward Henry Otto. She graduated from Grosse Pointe High School in 1949 and graduated from Michigan State University in 1953 with a degree in chemistry. Barbara began her love of tennis and bridge, started a career as a Medical Technologist, and made life-long friends during these years. In 1954, Barbara married her sweetheart, Vince, and together they raised their family in Detroit, MI, Chicago, Il, and Manitowoc, WI. In 1967, Barbara and Vince moved to Hagerstown.
In 1978, Barbara and Vince co-founded Fil-Tec, Inc., running the company from the basement of their home before moving manufacturing operations to a plant downtown and, eventually, to Cavetown, MD. She managed the financial operations until her retirement in 1995. Barabara was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Hagerstown from 1967 until her passing. Tennis and playing bridge continued to be favorite past-times. Barbara played a mean game of tennis until her early 80's. As a member of the American Contract Bridge League, she earned Life Master designation and enjoyed playing in duplicate bridge games throughout the area and social bridge with friends, stopping only in the last few months of her life.
Following retirement, Vince and Barbara traveled throughout the United States and the world, coming home with memorable stories of their adventures on the Orient Express, the Shinkansen, the Concorde, the QE2 and even on camelback. Barbara was an avid reader of fiction, history, biographies, and British murder mysteries. Agatha Christie's Miss Marple was a favorite. She shared her fondness for classic black and white movies with the whole family and especially appreciated Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and Barbara Stanwick. Barbara was an animal lover and provided a caring home to many dogs and cats, parakeets, pigeons, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, mice, turtles, and fish over the years. She enjoyed flowers and working in her garden.
Barbara loved her family, her friends, and her 19-year-old cat, Jack, who died just a few weeks before Barbara.
She is preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Vince Schoeck; three daughters, Kim Tucker and husband Tom, Kristen Byers and husband Duane and Margaret Murphy and husband Glenn; son Ted Schoeck and wife Teresa; nine grandchildren, Leslie Cumber and husband Jamie, Vince Schoeck and wife Dory, Gretchen Flandreau and husband Nat, Otto Schoeck, Teddy Schoeck, Jack Byers, Isabelle Byers and fianc? Krunal, Sam Murphy, Max Murphy and Brook Tucker; seven great grandchildren, Tristan and Henson Cumber, Zoe, Vincent and Alexander Schoeck, Madi and Charlie Flandreau, and Annabeth Tucker.
She is also survived by her sisters Margaret Campeau of Novi, Michigan, Elaine Tupy and her husband, Richard, of Eatontown, New Jersey, her brother-in-law Dr. James Schoeck of Orlando, Florida and nieces and nephews Greg Campeau, Gretchen Tupy, Joann Catlett, Matt Tupy, Jim Schoeck, Brian Schoeck and Susie Schoeck Pratt.
A memorial service for Barbara's life will be held on Thursday, November 7, at 11a.m. at the Fiery Funeral Home followed by a reception. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Humane Society, Hospice of Washington County or a favorite charity of your choice.
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